Homemade Upholstery Cleaner

The very first dog I ever had was a Shih Tzu named Suzy. We adopted her when she was two years old from the pound where she was saved from harsh living conditions. Her previous owners kept her in a cage outside and regularly fed her beer, hotdogs and popcorn instead of dog food and water. Suzy lived until she was 17 years old, when she had a stroke and we knew it was time to say goodbye.

When Suzy first came home with us, she had fleas and we didn’t know it. If you’ve ever had a flea infestation, you know just how fast it spreads. Those little jumpy blood suckers are disgusting and it makes my skin crawl thinking about even now 20+ years later! It took a long time for my mom to get the house flea free. She tried everything on the market until a dog groomer told her what they do. For some reason that information stuck with me…Maybe it was because I was traumatized in some way from having our house torn apart, or maybe it’s because I knew psychically I’d be sitting here sharing this information someday…. 😉

Regardless of why I remember, I’ve been using this homemade concoction for years on anything and EVERYTHING upholstery about once 3-4 months! {Knock on wood} I haven’t had to worry about fleas since that day, but this stuff kills dust mites as well, so it’s great to keep it handy in your arsenal of cleaning supplies! Here’s how to make it…

In a mixing bowl add all of your ingredients and whisk together until well blended. I like to store mine in a mason jar overnight before using it since I add the essential oils to make everything smell nice. You don’t have to add any fragrance, I just figure if I’m cleaning I might as well give everything a nice smell as well 🙂

For a cleaning I just sprinkle a bit of this on all of our mattresses, dog beds, sofa, chairs and throw rugs. Leave it on for about an hour and then thoroughly vacuum it up. Not only does it freshen everything but it kills the dust mites which is awesome!

Now if you’re reading this have a full blown FLEA infestation right now…

I’m not talking about you Bentley…

The best thing to do is buy a few boxes of straight up Borax and sprinkle it EVERYWHERE. Rugs, beds, sofas, curtains, dog beds and cages, anywhere and everywhere those little buggers could be hiding…

Borax is commonly known and used as a laundry booster. It kills fleas by extremely dehydrating them and making tiny cuts in their exoskeleton which results in their death. It can even be used to prevent small larvae that hatch but it won’t kill the eggs, so you may need to do this a few times to kill them all in their cycle.

After letting the Borax sit on your upholstered furniture and rugs for 12 hours, thoroughly vacuum it up, and repeat if necessary until you see no further signs of fleas in your house.

Q: Are there any warnings I should know about beforehand?

Yes, just like anything there could be risks, but the good news is that using Borax is way safer and less toxic than most flea products. Here’s a few warnings though…

It’s not smart to use if you are pregnant. Better to be safe than sorry, ya know?

Comments

I can tell y’all are as much an animal lover as we are. The more natural non-toxic cleaning I can do for all of us (human & furbabies) the happier I am. I did not know about this and thank you so much for sharing. You have given some great green cleaning hints recently and I love them all. Thanks again for sharing all your fantastic info.

Take care – Bentley is adorable !!! Is the bell at the door still working for him when he needs to go potty?

We sure are animal lovers! Some might even say a little obsessed 😉 Porshia (the puppy) is the one who is being bell trained, for the most part she is doing great! She taps the bell when she needs to go, but usually I beat her to it because I don’t want her to have any accidents 🙂 I’m so glad you’re finding the cleaning tips helpful Debbie! Thank you for reading! XO

Do you ever spray matresses? I vacuum them, because I have a dog-who knows what he’s carrying- and 2 kids with allergies, butI’ve never sprayed them with anything, except during a head lice outbreak in preschool(I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy!

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Comment

Name *

Email *

Website

Oh, hi there!

Hi! I'm Chrissi! I'm a homebody and get excited about finding ways to turn my house into a home. I love being able to share whatever inspires me too. Whether it's an easy DIY project, cleaning tip or delicious recipe...you can definitely find something to try here! This is my happy place to share what's going on in my life...Oh, and maybe talk a little bit about the love for my furkids too! I hope you'll stick around... Read More…

**This site contains advertising banners and occasional affiliate links. In the event that an affiliate link is used, I receive commission on the sale of the products. The affiliate program does not sway my decision of what products to use and share as I only feature items I would link to with or without an affiliate link.
All reviews and opinions on this site are mine and mine alone. I always give full disclosure at the end of each post if I'm paid or gifted to write about a product.
I love to share my personal experiences and what "works for me", however, I cannot guarantee that those same projects, recipes, tips etc... will also work for you.
As the reader, you assume any risks involved when completing anything seen on this site. I am not personally liable for anything that is completed based on the ideas and inspiration shared here.